SAS Captured Woolwich Suspect 3 Years Ago

30.05.2013

One of the suspects in the recent murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich was captured by British special forces three years ago in an operation in Kenya, it has been reported.[1]

Michael Adebolajo, filmed at the scene of the attack holding bloody weapons and spouting extremist rhetoric, was reportedly snatched by a team from the 22nd Special Air Service (22 SAS) in a helicopter raid in November 2010.

A contingent of SAS troops have/had been based in Kenya for some time[2], carrying out operations with Kenyan forces against the Al Shabaab militia, a terror group with ties to Al Qaeda, that operates from neighbouring Somalia.
Part of the SAS mission included targeting people as they attempted cross into Somalia from Kenya, in order to join Al Shabaab. It is beleived that Adebolajo, a British citizen,
had travelled to Kenya to do just that.

The Daily Mail reports that Adebolajo was captured at a remote location close to Lamu, Kenya, following a surveillance operation.

In a dramatic raid, helicopter-borne SAS troops swooped down and snatched Adebolaj, later handing him over to Kenyan authorities. MI5 and a counter terrorism Police Officer from Scotland Yard were reportedly also involved in the operation.

Adebolaj was subsequently deported from Kenya and flown back to the UK on a commercial flight, with an undercover Police Officer as a chaperone. Sometime after his return, it appears that MI5 attempted and failed to recruit Adebolaj as an intelligence asset.